Gambling in NH: Odds improve

Friday

Feb 22, 2013 at 3:15 AM

DURHAM — Support for legalizing gambling has increased in New Hampshire in recent years.

Income and sales taxes, as well as increased property taxes, remain unpopular.

These findings are based on the latest WMUR Granite State Poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Five hundred and eighty-one (581) randomly selected New Hampshire adults were interviewed by landline and cellular telephone between Jan. 30 and Feb. 5.

New Hampshire is once again facing difficult decisions in preparing the next two-year budget, and while there has been

considerable discussion about cutting spending, many legislators argue that the state needs additional revenues.

New Hampshire is one of only two states that have neither a state income tax nor a sales tax; revenues come primarily from

a combination of business taxes, room and meals taxes, revenues from the sales of alcohol and lottery tickets, and a state

wide property tax for primary and secondary education. There has been debate for decades about implementing a “broad

base” tax in New Hampshire, either an income tax or a sales tax, but proponents of these changes have not had the political

support either in Concord or from the voters of New Hampshire to get one passed.

And while it is clear that most New Hampshire residents are not at all happy with property taxes as a long term funding

solution, they also do not want either an income tax or a sales tax and would be more likely to vote against candidates who

favor either of these revenue options. When asked if they would be more likely or less likely to vote for a candidate who

favored increasing property taxes as a long term funding solution for the state, only 8% of New Hampshire adults say they

would be more likely to vote for a State Senate candidate who favored this position, 78% said they would be more likely to

vote against, 11% said it would make no difference in their vote, and 4% said they don’t know.

While not as unpopular as increasing property taxes, only 21% of New Hampshire adults say they would be more likely to

vote for a State Senate candidate who favored an income tax, 62% said they would be more likely to vote against, 14% said

it would make no difference in their vote, and 3% said they don’t know.

A sales tax is also not a popular option — only 22% of state residents say they would be more likely to vote for a State Senate

candidate who favored a sales tax, 57% say they would be more likely to vote against, 19% say it would make little

difference in their vote, and 3% don’t know.

The only revenue option that is somewhat politically popular is expanding legal gambling — 46% say they would be more

likely to vote for a State Senate candidate who favored legalized gambling, 29% said they would be more likely to vote

against, 22% said it would make little difference in their vote, and 3% don’t know.

There has been little change in how New Hampshire adults feel about these issues over the past 10 years.